


Fall Down Seven Times, Stand Up Eight

by TheOneAndOnly1993



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Time Loop, mass character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2016-12-12
Packaged: 2018-09-08 01:10:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8824123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOneAndOnly1993/pseuds/TheOneAndOnly1993
Summary: Star Butterfly is often called a fighter. Meaning, she will keep on fighting until there is nothing left to fight; defeat is never, ever an option. But that was before everything happened. Now? Now, Star Butterfly is tired. Now, she doesn't want to fight anymore. Now, she just wants to make like the butterfly, and fly free.





	

**This is a prologue**

* * *

**_Fall Down Seven Times, Stand Up Eight_ **

_TheOneAndOnly1993_

* * *

"I highly recommend you turn this steed around and go back."

Star wanted to scream, yet, even that required energy she just did not have to spend. Not anymore. She simply replied, "It's over, Glossaryck," and whipped the reins clutched in her hands. The warnicorn beneath her whinnied before breaking into a gallop, pawing over the vast, rolling plains of Mewni's easternmost regions.

All the while Glossaryck managed to keep up, floating beside Star's ear while sitting crisscross. His expression, as ever, was hard to get a read on. Was he disappointed in her? Or just tired, too?

No, of course Glossaryck wasn't tired - he never tired. At least, that is how it appeared - the creature was not a real person, with real struggles and real feelings. He was just a physical manifestation of Butterfly magic, forever pledged to serve Star's family.

But that just meant he'd never understand.

Star shook her head, and dug the heels of her dress-slippers deeper into the warnicorn's sides, beckoning it to run faster, away from it all.

She was taken by surprise when, after several moments of silence, the guru who always had a quip on hand meekly replied, "It's never over, Star." Oh, he yelled that of course - he had to, over the thunderous hoofstomps adding steady rhythm to their journey.

But there was an exhaustion evident in his voice that could not be denied. And Star realized that even this annoying little blue man had his limits. He just had not reached them yet.

He had not given up yet.

Hesitantly, Star called back, "There's nothing left," all while struggling to keep her voice like steel - solid and unbending. Yet, even so, after everything, Star still felt her breath hitch in her throat, and tears burn her eyes until they were as red as her big, stupid, fluffy dress.

It was such a deep, deep red. _Marco would have loved this dress._ Stupid Glossaryck was so adamant on her wearing this one.

Why did he even care!?

Why... Why didn't he just let her go...

Star did not bother voicing these thoughts - it was a dance she and her only friend left in the Universe had performed far too many times.

"That's not true," Glossaryck replied, after what felt like forever. "You know that's not true, Star; not as long as you and I are around, it isn't."

But Star Butterfly kept on running.

* * *

After a long day and an even longer ride, Star's bottom was sore and her thighs likely blistered. But the pain did not make itself known until she finally stopped - not by her own volition, but because there was no more land for her to cross.

Before her, a vast expanse of blue, deep sapphire in color, stretching as far as the horizon allowed, and as far as Star's imagination permitted. The sun was setting behind her, playing upon its surface and rendering it all a sheet of beaten copper. A wind blew against her, billowing her blonde hair to the side, as did Glossaryck's snowy-white beard, and the coarse grey mane of her loyal steed.

It carried with it an achingly familiar scent, the sharp tang of salt, except not exactly how Star remembered from her time on Earth. This smelled a tad sweeter, like it was lightly stirred with powdered sugar.

"Mewni's end," Glossaryck announced. "The Soundless Sea."

"The ocean," Star realized, breath hitching in her throat. "I've never been this far from home before."

Glossaryck zipped in front of her, and immediately Star was ready for another sparring match with the little creep. Except when she looked into his eyes, those ruby diamonds of his, and the sincerity they exuded, she could not help but be entranced. "And it's not too late to turn back," he told her, and Star's heart was locked in a vice grip.

"No," she agreed, lowering her head. "Of course it isn't. We have all the time in the world, to be honest!" She giggled, deliriously.

"Star..."

"Fuck Mewni, Glossaryck."

"Star!" the guru cried, aghast, and truly, even Star was surprised at herself; that just came out of her. "My goodness, the language!" he raved. "What would your mother say?"

The princess was about to explode, but she caught herself and waggled a finger at the impish little creature. "Nice try, Glossy. You're not manipulating me again."

The little man leaned closer to her eyeball. "That's what we're calling it now?"

With a groan, Star gave up and pulled the reins to her right, and with a "Hi-yah!" she sent to warnicorn galloping, the Soundless Sea at her left side.

Meanwhile, Glossaryck continued being annoying, hovering right by her ear, babbling away. "You know, I wasn't talking about that F-shaped bomb you just dropped, young lady!"

He continued chastising her.

"What would your mother say if she heard you speaking like that? About your home? About your friends, your family? About Marco?"

He continued being right.

"You know, I remember you never gave up on me after hurting my feelings. I refuse to believe that this same girl is running away as I speak!"

Star rode her warnicorn harder than she ever had before.

"You may have given up on everybody, Star, but I refuse to give up on the family I've served for the last several hundred years!"

And then Star _yanked_ on the reins, almost falling off when the warnicorn reared up in a horrible cry. With fury in her eyes and tears to cloud them Star whirled around on her magical mentor.

 _"WE HAVE TRIED_ EVERYTHING, _GLOSSARYCK. THERE IS NOTHING **LEFT.** "_

Star's voice echoed into the distance, but nothing more came - just the breeze rustling their hair. It truly was just her and Glossaryck left.

"No." The guru shook his head, face set, plump lips firm in a straight line. "It's not over, Star. It can't be. And you know it!"

The princess kicked her heels, and continued their journey once more. "Then just go, Glossaryck. Do it yourself, for once."

Star bit down on her lip to prevent any sobs from coming forth - she would not let that creature see her cry, because if he did, then he would know he's right. And truly, secretly, Star prayed to baby dolphin giggles that he would not abandon her.

He was all she had left.

As if answering her prayers, the little man replied, "You and I both know that that's not happening," and before anybody could say anything regrettable, he dove into her cloud-shaped satchel.

* * *

Star very nearly let out a cry of happiness: scaling a grassy hill and riding down it, across the way through the ocean of green, by the water's edge she saw the first sign of civilization she'd seen in ages. It was a small, ramshackle little port with three squat shacks and huge mounds of salt, which big buff men were currently shoveling into barrels. Looming over the small settlement, an enormous ship with red sails and half a warnicorn on the front, rust-stained but reared-up proud, and screaming. It did not occur to Star that they might be pirates, but if that were the case, she could leave just as easily as she arrived. Of that, she was certain.

Star didn't even bother tying her warnicorn to something when she got there, it could run off and be free for all she cared. Panting, she dashed over to the only man who did not look too busy: a massive fellow with a belly like a keg, hanging free from an unbuttoned vest, with sunburns on the shoulders and face. Though he lacked hair on top of his head, he made up for it in the face and chest - coarse, yellow stuff grew wild all over. He reminded her so much of her father that Star almost froze in shock, but she kept going.

"Excuse me?" she approached.

The man was pouring over a map when she came forward, and when she spoke the man bowed his head and smacked his hand on the table. "What?" he snapped, tired and agitated. "What could be so important child, that you have to approach a man who is clearly in the middle of griev-!"

He was given a start upon seeing the girl before him, and his beady little black eyes widened, as if trying to take her all in one look. The mouth within his beard attempted to open many times, and yet no words came. All the while, Star couldn't help but smile - a sad, exhausted thing, not at all a quality Star Butterfly-smile - but a reassuring grin on her face.

Finally, the man found the voice to speak, and could only sputter out a shocked, "Ye-Yer _Highness_?" And a big grin came to his face. "Yer alive." He chuckled, light and, if Star didn't know any better, relieved. "Whe-When I heard that the Castle of Mewni... I thought the worst! We all did! You do not know the relief I am feeling right now, with all due respect, Princess."

Star gazed upon the man, her eyes wide and unblinking, listening to his voice and realizing it was the first of another living mewman she heard in ages. And one so warm, too. Star could not help herself, for she jumped at the man and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He almost fell back with a hearty "Woah!" but he found his footing before lightly, hesitantly hooking one arm around Star's back, likely embarrassed on not expecting to be embraced so readily by royalty today.

He set her down gently, and Star wasted no time in pulling away, and giving this man a full view of the ruddiness in her eyes, and the distraught evident in her face.

"Please Mister, please, I want to be on your ship." The man looked taken aback, and for a moment Star feared this was not the man in charge, but she continued anyway. "I don't have anywhere else to go," she explained. "I don't have anything left, and I want to be a part of your crew. I-I'll do anything, honest! I've learned all sorts of neat stuff while on Earth, a-and-!"

"Easy now, yer Highness. Easy." He made a calming gesture. Star took a deep breath, and wiped away at tears rolling down her heart-stamped cheeks, not realizing that they had started running.

The man got to one knee, so he was eye-level with Star. "Yer Highness, I shant think of no greater honor than having y'aboard _The Warnicorn._ But this 'ere galley? It is no pleasure cruise. And my sincerest apologies, but we just do not have the room or means to accommodate the Royal Daughter. Not at the moment, anyway."

"I don't care about any of that," Star replied, practically pleading. "I promise, I'll pull my weight, I-I'll swab the poop on your deck, do your laundry, feed your fish-!"

A big hand went to her shoulder, and Star's ranting caught in her throat. "Yer Highness, breathe slow. These old ears," he pointed a finger to them, "they are not so good at keeping up with your talking. Now," he stood up straight, hooking his thumbs into his pants, "I don't need to understand what you are saying to hear what you are saying. I will be honest, Yer Highness, I do not feel fairly comfortable with having royalty dirtying herself on a ship. Now my crew, we're a good lot, me thinks. No doubts there. But, well, a man cannot help but feel a little humbled. This is all so sudden."

Star clasped her hands together, leaning closer to the man. "I'm begging you, Mister Captain. I have nowhere else to go."

A bellyful laugh erupted from the man, so loud that a few of the men behind Star stopped shoveling and looked over, curious. "I am not the captain, Yer Highness! But, a man is flattered you think of him as one. I am the first mate, Cale. But I know m'captain, know that he'd let himself be consumed by dark-sharks before turning away a member've the family, 'specially one in dire need."

For the first time in ages, Star felt her heart truly rise. "You'll have me?"

Cale bowed his head. "We shall see, little one! We shall see. First, let us meet with Captain Brock and go from-woah!" The portly first mate was startled back a step, and Star behind him, when a little blue man was waiting right in front of his face while he turned.

"Hello!" he sang.

"S-Sea demon!?" Cale half-guessed, half-cursed.

Glossaryck, of course, laughed his friendly laugh as he twirled a finger around one of the twin-tails of his beard. "No, no, no, my good friend, I'm no demon! However, I am the guy who will turn your guts to snakes if you so much as touch Princess Star, capiche?"

Slowly, with a hunted look in his eye, Cale turned to Star. "Is... Is that yer good luck charm?"

Star, despite everything, laughed. She laughed hard.

* * *

Captain Brock was not like any captain Star had imagined. Whenever she heard the title, she imagined a fierce man, with a gross beard and yellow teeth, a funny hat and a parrot on his shoulder.

Brock was the exact opposite - he was only a head taller than her, a fifteen-year-old girl, and slim of build like her, too. He had a dusting of fuzz on his face, bright blue eyes, and he dressed quite well for a seaman: black vest with a white blouse, dark slacks to match. In his pocket, a blue kerchief. Brock did have scraggly, dark hair like a pirate captain should, but it was tied up in a dainty little ponytail.

He looked ready to do someone's taxes than plunder booty and carry off maidens.

"When I heard about what happened in the capital, I refused to believe it." Captain Brock spoke in a quiet, chilly voice, but his smile was warm and sincere, and he was clearly more well-spoken than First Mate Cale.

He lifted his hand to Star from behind his desk, wrapped in a white cloth and splotched red. "I screamed so loud I woke my men from their slumber below deck, and I punched the mast until my knuckles bled. I hope you forgive me, Princess Star, for openly weeping after saying nothing when Cale brought you to my quarters."

"It's fine." Star smiled. "Really."

Brock nodded, but he did not smile back. "Good, I am glad." All business, this one. "So, what can I do for the Baby Butterfly and her," he got stuck, and nodded to Glossaryck hovering beside Star, smiling cheekily at him, "companion, on this most tragic day. First Mate Cale tells me you wish to join our crew."

"Yes, please. I..." Star sighed. "I don't know what else to do, Captain Brock. I-" Brock held up a hand, and Star was silenced with tears still unshed.

"You need not to convince me, Your Highness, for I already am. But, there is something I must know before we talk about anything else."

Star wiped an arm across her eyes, and sniffled. "Like what?"

Brock folded both hands over his desk and he gazed downward, biting the corner of his lip as if he were choosing his next words carefully. "I... know, that this must be a difficult time for you, Princess Star. But I am aching to know what it is that happened at the capital yesterday. Just how did you escape? Who is your friend? Who, and pardon my harsh language, but who is the bastard that inflicted this horrible crime, and is he, or they, rotting in a dungeon someplace where the sun does not shine?"

A deep breath, and an exhale. Star anticipated that she would have to relive this once again. But Captain Brock did not need to know everything, of course; just what he asked.

How this whole mess started in the first place.

"Okay." Star began. She met his eyes, and the captain proceeded to pour himself and Star a glass of wine. "Do... Do you know who Toffee is?" She wasn't surprised to see him nod, gravelly. "Well, you know yesterday was supposed to be his trial..."

* * *

**Hope you enjoy, because there is more to come. I want to emphasize that every line, spoken and unspoken, is important in some way.**

**Reviews and Favorites are loved.**


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